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Contact:  Monty J. Sander
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HISTORIC NAPA MILL ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX RECOGNIZED FOR PRESERVATION AND ECONOMIC ENDEAVORS

GRAND PRIZE -CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
PRESIDENT’S AWARD - CALIFORNIA PRESERVATION FOUNDATION

May, 2003, Napa Valley California - The Historic Napa Mill, a multi-faceted, two-and-one-half acre riverside entertainment complex on the Napa River, and developer Harry Price have been recognized by two different California organizations devoted to the recognition of preservation and economic development. 

In April, the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) awarded one of its highest honors, the Grand Prize for Development Partnerships, to the Historic Napa Mill and Napa Community Redevelopment Agency, jointly, for their development partnership in restoring the Hatt Building and renovating the Historic Napa Mill complex.  The award was announced and given at the annual CALED conference in Monterey, CA.  

The Grand Prize for Development Partnerships strives to recognize projects that exemplify the spirit of partnership between the public and private sectors.  CALED referred to the Napa Mill project as “an innovative example that other communities in California should look to for future public-private partnerships.”

Later in the month, Historic Napa Mill developer Harry Price was awarded the California Preservation Foundation(CPF) President’s Award at the annual CPF conference in Santa Barbara.  The President's Awards have been given since 1991 to individuals and organizations deserving of special recognition for their preservation efforts, volunteerism, significant contributions to region or community, and advocacy. The awards are selected each year by CPF's Board of Trustees and presented at the Plenary Session of the annual California Preservation Foundation conference.

The Historic Napa Mill’s cornerstone Hatt Building was built in 1884. It became Building #77000316 on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The preservation efforts began in 1990 when Harry Price undertook his vision to restore and transform the dilapidated and abandoned warehouse property into an entertainment complex. The Historic Napa Mill project is the largest historic redevelopment undertaking in the history of Napa. 
Today the Historic Napa Mill consists of a luxury boutique hotel, a collection of upscale restaurants, bakery, European day spa, Venetian import store with authentic gondola rides on the Napa River, an Epicurean market and café, and an outdoor performance plaza on the Napa River.

The Napa River Inn occupies a portion of the historic Hatt Building and features over-sized quarters with fireplaces, canopy beds, tufted lounge chairs, velvet ottomans, slipper tubs and walk-in showers.  Keeping with the historic restoration, these rooms have maple hardwood floors, massive cove and baseboard moldings and offer a perspective of the historic Napa Valley while providing the convenience of modern amenities.  Art in the Hatt Building rooms is reflective of aburgeoning river town of the 1800’s.

The Napa River Inn has two meeting rooms – The Keig Board Room, accommodating up to 12 people, and Hatt Hall with banquet and meeting accommodations for up to 100 people.  Hatt Hall’s interior appointments include the original pressed tin wall panels and deep cove moldings, originally installed in the space when it was a music room in the late1800’s.  Both spaces offer state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and are equipped with T-1 data ports, with up to 30 users online simultaneously.

Two new structures reflecting the historic background of the property bring to 66 the total number of rooms available at the Napa River Inn. All accommodations at the Napa River Inn include complimentary California breakfast at Sweetie Pies Bakery or the Napa General Store and many have fireplaces and river views.
Greg Cole’s popular Celadon restaurant specializing in "global comfort food" opened at the Historic Napa Mill in early July of 2002.  Celadon received a three star rating in The San Francisco Examiner and four stars in The Santa Rosa Press Democrat.  In 1998 Chef Cole was selected as one of the twenty-four "hottest young chefs" in America by The Wine Spectator magazine. USA TODAY chose Celadon as one of the “ten great places to dine at the bar” in the December 8, 2000 edition. Celadon received the Zagat Survey "Award of Distinction" for 2001 and has been a Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence" recipient for the innovative and eclectic wine list.

One of the legendary Bay Area restaurant families operate Angéle, a rustic “French farm-house” restaurant at the Historic Napa Mill.  Claude Rouas, known for the former L’Etoile in San Francisco and Auberge du Soleil resort, with daughters Bettina and Claudia opened Angéle the first week in December.  French-born Chef de Cuisine Christophe Gerard brings to Angèle14 years experience at some of the worlds finest restaurants, including Paris’ three-starred Michelin Taillevent restaurant and Lespinasse in New York’s St. Regis Hotel.

Sweetie Pies bakery is one of Napa Valley’s premier providers of high-quality baked goods.  Moving thousands of pounds of butter and chocolate through the kitchen’s doors weekly, owner/master baker Toni Schiapetta fashions custom creations for weddings and events, as well as for retailers throughout the Valley.  Sweetie Pies provides breakfast for the Napa River Inn and serves lunch daily, and desserts and wine during evening hours.

The Napa General Store at the Historic Napa Mill is "where the wine & river meet."  The 4,530 square foot space includes “gourmet-to-go” as well as onsite dining both inside and on the riverside terrace.  The Napa General Store features offerings from the brick pizza oven and wood-fired rotisserie, a Bonavita coffee/espresso bar, a 28-foot wine bar, delicatessen, as well as gourmet packaged foods and specialty merchandise.  Creative picnic baskets to-order and gourmet-to-go fare ready to pick-up are available for the busy home entertainer, and Napa General Store offers regular tastings of featured seasonal products. 

Greenhaus Spa onsite at the Napa River Inn features a broad scope of health and beauty spa treatments, including facials, masks, peels, waxing, massage, wraps and a complete program of spa packages. 
With the $70 million COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts only a short walk away, the Jarvis Music Conservatory up the street, the Napa Valley Opera House restoration just two blocks away and the Napa Wine Train across the river, hotel guests have a wide selection of additional entertainment.

Visitors may arrive at the Napa Mill project via boat on the Napa River and use the City of Napa River dock.  The $250,000,000 Napa River Restoration Project, to be completed over the course of the next five years, will add a series of river trails, water access and nature hikes to the broad complement of activities for Napa River Inn guests.

The Napa Mill is located at 500 Main Street, Napa, CA94559.  For more information, please call 707.251.8500, toll-free 877.251.8500 or visit the website at www.napariverinn.com.